Beaufort’s Bill Warren, 82, joined the United States Marine Corps’ PLC program in St. Louis, Mo., in 1958. After graduating from Southern Illinois University, he attended basic and infantry training at Quantico. He joined the Recon Battalion at Camp Pendleton and deployed to Cuba and Haiti before a tour in Okinawa. He then spent two years aboard USS George Clymer deploying to WESTPAC.
A quick tour at Pendleton preceded his first tour in Vietnam, where he received his first Purple Heart during the Tet Offensive. Back in the States, he served Inspector/Instructor duty in Waukegan, Ill., before returning to Vietnam as an advisor with the Vietnamese Marines in Quang Tri where he received two additional Purple Hearts.
After Command and Staff College, he served three years aboard USS Mt. Whitney including deployments to Europe. Next was duty at Headquarters Marine Corps, then at Ft. Bragg as the Marine rep to Special Forces, then with the Joint Special OPS Command. He later served at Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, Ga., and finally as CO of Headquarters & Service Battalion at Parris Island. He retired as a Colonel in 1988 and then served on the boards of the local Red Cross and Salvation Army and as terminal manager at the Port of Port Royal.
– Compiled by John Chubb, American Legion Post 9. For nominations, contact jechubb1@gmail.com.
